Credit Suisse in for firestorm as shareholders get last crack at meet

Once-venerable Credit Suisse is heading into a possible firestorm Tuesday as shareholders meet for what is shaping up to be their last crack at managers following a colossal collapse of the bank's stock price over the last decade and as rival UBS is set to gobble up the 167-year-old Swiss lender at a bargain-basement price.

In 2007, Credit Suisse shares fetched as much nearly 88 Swiss francs (dollars). Today, they're trading at about 80 cents.

As the stock skid worsened and jittery depositors pulled their money, Swiss government officials hastily orchestrated a USD 3.25 billion takeover by UBS two weekends ago. Political leaders, financial regulators and the central bank feared a teetering Credit Suisse could further roil global financial markets following the collapse of two US banks.

Crosstown competitor UBS has been known for a more conservative culture after surviving the 2008 financial crisis, thanks in part to a government bailout.

The annual general meeting, the first held i